DOCTORS surgeries in Chorlton have been blasted by the health authority for closing their books to new patients - despite having room for more appointments.

NHS bosses say many sugeries in the area are closing their books without permission from the Primary Care Trust.

The majority of Chorlton surgeries contacted by the South Manchester Reporter said they were not taking on new patients despite the fact the health authority has not closed any of the lists.

A spokeswoman for the health authority said none of the practices should be turning away new patients apart from Wilbraham Road, whose books were full.

She said: "We have definitely not closed the lists and all the surgeries should be taking on new patients apart from Wilbraham Road.

"They are saying they are full and turning people away who live nearby, but as far as we are concerned they are still open to new patients. People should know that the surgeries are duty-bound to send them a refusal letter stating the reason why. If they get this letter we can go about allocating them another doctor."

She added: "The surgeries need permission from the PCT to close the list and they haven't got that."

The Reporter contacted seven surgeries in Chorlton to find out just how hard it is to register at a surgery. Four practices - including the Oswald Medical Practice in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, the Ratcliffe/Chew-Graham surgery and Chen/Davies practice at Chorlton Health Centre on Nicholas Road - said their books were closed.

At the Oswald Medical Practice, one prospective patient was given a refusal letter and told to 'collect' two others from nearby surgeries before ringing the health authority to find another doctor.

The 39-year-old man, who asked not to be named, said: "I couldn't believe it. I've effectively been told to collect refusal letters like tokens before ringing the helpine to find another surgery."

Dr Jenny Black, lead practitioner at the Oswald Road surgery, said: "We aim to offer a very good service to patients but recently two doctors have been off sick and we couldn't get any locums to replace them, so we've been struggling to cope with the existing workload.

"The matter of taking on new patients is under discussion with the PCT. They were down here two weeks ago to look at the problems we've been having and we showed them how the service would be impaired by taking on new patients.

"It would mean patient care would be compromised and make it really difficult to keep patients' records up-to-date and offer them appointments without waiting too long."

Dr Black said the practice was now waiting on a report from the PCT in two months' time and 'then we can move forward'.

She added: "We have told the PCT we would be prepared to take on 10 to 20 new patients per week, but we feel if we didn't have a quota we would be inundated. They have said that is not acceptable, yet if we didn't have a quota it would leave us in a position where we are taking on 50 new patients a week, which would affect the whole efficiency of the service."

Dr Sieber's practice at Chorlton Health Centre said its quota for patient numbers had been filled for this month but it hoped to be taking on new patients by April.

A source at the surgery said: "We're asking them to come back on the first working day in April, when there should be appointments available. On March 1 we had 42 patients arrive at the desk - by 10am there were no appointments left. That's how hard it seems to be to find a GP in the area.

"I don't know what's going on. You tend to find that most surgeries are not taking on. They should be but they are not."

A spokesperson for Central Manchester Primary Care Trust said: "Under the terms of the National General Medical Services Contract, which came into effect in April 2004, GP practices need to apply if they want to close their lists to new patients.

"We have received no applications to date. However, we are aware of the increasing popularity of the Chorlton area and the increased number of people who want to live there, and are working with practitioners to understand how we can work together to address these issues."

IF you are finding it hard to find a doctor in your area call the Manchester Health Agency on: 0161 236 9456.